Exhaust muffler

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to exhaust mufflers and more particularly to the improvements in exhaust mufflers for use with internal combustion engines. The exhaust muffler disclosed herein comprises an elongate muffler housing and a plurality of conduits disposed in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the housing. Inlet and outlet conduits are each supported at one extremity within the end wall or closure of the housing and additional conduits are telescopically associated with said inlet and outlet conduits. These telescopically associated conduits are supported by flange means within the housing so as to present the elongate annular passages opening at opposite extremities into said housing, said telescopically associated conduits being peripherally joined so as to enhance lateral rigidity thereof within the housing.

United States Patent Hansen Aug. 6, 1974 [73] Assignee: Nelson Muffler Corporation,

Stoughton, Wis.

22 Filed: Aug. 17, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 389,259

[52] US. Cl. 181/53, 181/57 [51] lnt. Cl. FOln U118 [58] Field of Search 181/53-55, 181/57 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,109,220 2/1938 Noblitt et a1 181/54 2,138,477 11/1938 Ludlow .1 181/54 2 147,0l5 2/1939 Deremer 181/53 2,899,007 8/1959 Morrish et a1. 181/54 3,181,647 5/1965 Schomburg 181/57 X R25.384 Bryant 181/53 X rxfi qmi zll h ima e Assistant Examiner-John F. Gonzales Attorney, Agent, or Firm-O1son, Trexler, Wolters,

Bushnell & Fosse, Ltd.

[5 7 ABSTRACT The present invention relates generally to exhaust mufflcrs and more particularly to the improvements in exhaust mufflers for use with internal combustion engines. The exhaust muffler disclosed herein comprises an elongate muffler housing and a plurality of conduits disposed in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the housing. Inlet and outlet conduits are each supported at one extremity within the end wall or closure of the housing and additional conduits are telescopically associated with said inlet and outlet conduits. These telescopically associated conduits are supported by flange means within the housing so as to present the elongate annular passages opening at opposite extremities into said housing, said telescopically associated conduits being peripherally joined so as to enhance lateral rigidity thereof within the housing.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 EXHAUST MUFFLER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the problems incident to the use of exhaust mufflers of the type contemplated by the present invention is that of maintaining lateral rigidity in instances where longitudinal conduits are telescopically associated. It is, therefore, one of the important objects of the present invention to provide an exhaust muffler in which elongate telescopically associated conduits arev so mounted as to enhance lateral rigidity thereof.

More specifically, the present invention contemplates an exhaust muffler of the type set forth above, wherein telescopically associated conduits are so arranged as to present elongate annular passages opening at opposite extremities into a muffler housing and peripherally joined so as to promote lateral rigidity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved, efficiently operable exhaust muffler having a unique arrangement of flanges within the muffler housing for supporting inlet and outlet conduits as well as conduits surrounding said inlet and outlet conduits.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide exhaust mufflers of the general type referred to above which may be produced economically without sacrificing but in fact increasing muffler rigidity.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

' FIG. 1' is a perspective view of a muffler constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the muffler housing being removed in order to expose parts otherwise hidden;

FIG. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the path followed by the exhaust gases as such gases pass through the conduits of themuffler illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various views, it will be noted that an exhaust muffler which is representative of one embodiment of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10. The muffler includes an elongate housing 12 of substantially elliptical cross sectional shape having closures l4 and 16 mounted as by welding at the opposite extremities thereof. Secured as by welding in spaced relation within the housing 12 are transverse flange members 18 and 20.

An open ended elongate inlet conduit 22 is supported at one extremity and extends outwardly from the end closure member 14, said closure member 14 being suitably adhered as by welding to the outer periphery of the inlet conduit 22. The opposite extremity of the inlet conduit 22 terminates within the housing 12 and is supported by the transverse flange member 20. An elongate open ended outlet conduit 24 is supported at one extremity by and extends beyound the end closure member 16. The opposite extremity of the conduit 24 is positioned within the housing 12 and is supported by the transverse flange member 18.

Telescopically associated with the inlet conduit 22 is a conduit 26. One extremity of the conduit 26 is secured to and extends through the flange member 18, said conduit 26 being so disposed with respect to the inlet conduit 22 as to present an elongate annular passage 28. A conduit 30 telescopically disposed with respect to the outlet conduit 24 is mounted at one extremity within the transverse flange member 20. The conduit 30 is telescopically associated with the outlet conduit 24 so as to present an elongate annular passage 32, opposite extremities of which open into chambers within the housing 12. At this point, particular attention is directed to the fact that the conduits 26 and 30 are suitably joined to each other, as by welding, along the peripheral line of contact or tangency indicated by the letter A in FIGS. 2 and 3. This physical connection of the conduits 26 and 30 serves materially to enhance the lateral rigidity or strength of said conduits. Exhaust mufflers of the type contemplated by the present invention are designed for use with internal combustion engines such. as automobile engines. Hence, such mufflers are subjected to severe forces of vibration.

In the operation of the exhaust muffler 10, exhaust gases enter the exposed outer extremity of the intake conduit 22 as indicated by the directional arrows in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. Gases from the opposite extremity of the conduit 22 are received by a housing chamber 34 which is positioned between the end closure member or plate 16 and the flange or separator member 20, FIG. 3. Gases from the chamber 34 are directed, as indicated by the directional arrows in FIGS. 3 and 4 through the elongate annular passage 32 and thence into a central housing chamber 36. From the chamber 36, exhaust gases are directed into one extremity of the elongate annular passage 28 which discharges said gases into an end chamber 38 oppositely disposed from the above-mentiond end chamber 34. The chamber 38 is defined between the end closure member 14 and the transverse flange member 18. From the chamber 38 exhaust gases pass through the outlet conduit 24 as indicated by the directional arrows.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention contemplates the provision of an exhaust muffler of simple yet extremely sturdy construction capable of directing gases longitudinally along at least four elongate passages all disposed in substantial parallelism within the muffler housing. The end closure members 14 and 16 respectively provide an effective mounting for one extremity of the inlet and outlet conduits. The axially spaced flange members 18 and 20 provide supports for the opposite extremities of the above-mentioned conduits 22 and 24 and also provide supports for one extremity of each of the conduits 26 and 30 surrounding the conduits 22 and 24 respectively. The transverse flanges or plates 18 and 20 also serve as walls for defining the housing chambers 34, 36 and 38. As previously mentioned, one of the difficult problems in the use of exhaust mufflers for internal combustion engines of vehicles such as automobiles and the like is that of withstanding or overcoming severe forces of vibration to which such vehicles are normally subjected. Hence, it is of the utmost importance to so design mufflers of the type contemplated hereby as to meet the above-mentioned service conditions. Mufflers constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present inventon have proven most satisfactory in solving this problem While for purposes of illustration, one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it should be understood that the present invention contemplates other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An exhaust muffler including an elongate muffler housing, first end closure means traversing one extremity of said housing, second end closure means traversing the opposite extremity of said housing, open ended elongate inlet conduit means extending through and supported at one extremity by said first end closure means in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal axis of said housing, first transverse flange means within said housing and supporting the opposite open extremity of said inlet conduit means, open ended elongate outlet conduit means extending through and supported at one extremity by said second end closure means in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal axis of said housing, second transverse flange means within said housing for supporting the opposite open extremity of said outlet conduit means, open ended conduit means telescopically associated with said inlet conduit means and secured at one extremity to said second flange means, so as to present an elongate annular passage opening at opposite extremities within said housing, open ended conduit means telescopically as sociated with said outlet conduit means and supported at one extremity by said first flange means, so as to present an elongate annular passage opening at opposite extremities into said housing, the conduit means surrounding said inlet conduit means and the conduit means surrounding said outlet conduit means being peripherally joined so as to enhance lateral rigidity thereof within said housing.

2. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transverse flange means and said end closure means serve to divide said housing into three discreet chambers.

3. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first flange means is spaced axially from said second end closure means to provide a chamber therebetween, and said second flange means is spaced axially from said first end closure means to provide a chamber therebetween, said first and second flange means being spaced axially from each other to provide a chamber therebetween.

4. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conduit means surrounding said inlet conduit means and the conduit means surrounding said outlet conduit means are peripherally secured to each other by a weld.

5. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing is of general elliptical cross section.

6. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 5, wherein the firstand second end closure means and said first and secondflange means are generally elliptical in general conformity with the elliptical cross section of said housing.

7. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 3, wherein the conduit means telescopically associated with each of said outlet and inlet conduit means is so positioned that one extremity communicates with the chamber between said first and second flange means and the oppo site extremities communicate with chambers positioned between said flange means and said end closure means.

8. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 3, wherein the inlet conduit means communicates with the chamber defined between said first flange means and said second end closure means and wherein one extremity of said outlet conduit means communicates with the chamber defined between said first flange means and said second end closure means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,827,531 Dated :August 6,1974

Inventor(s) Joseph A. Hansen It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown belowz- Col. 4, lines 38-39, "said first flange means-and said second end closure means" change to --said second flange means and said-iirst end closure means.---

Signed and sealed this 26th day of November 1974.

Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL mum Attesting Officer K Commissioner of Patents 0459) uscoMM-oc 60376-P69 ".5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I", -8-3,l, 

1. An exhaust muffler including an elongate muffler housing, first end closure means traversing one extremity of said housing, second end closure means traversing the opposite extremity of said housing, open ended elongate inlet conduit means extending through and supported at one extremity by said first end closure means in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal axis of said housing, first transverse flange means within said housing and supporting the opposite open extremity of said inlet conduit means, open ended elongate outlet conduit means extending through and supported at one extremity by said second end closure means in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal axis of said housing, second transverse flange means within said housing for supporting the opposite open extremity of said outlet conduit means, open ended conduit means telescopically associated with said inlet conduit means and secured at one extremity to said second flange means, so as to present an elongate annular passage opening at opposite extremities within said housing, open ended conduit means telescopically associated with said outlet conduit means and supported at one extremity by said first flange means, so as to present an elongate annular passage opening at opposite extremities into said housing, the conduit means surrounding said inlet conduit means and the conduit means surrounding said outlet conduit means being peripherally joined so as to enhance lateral rigidity thereof within said housing.
 2. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transverse flange means and said end closure means serve to divide said housing into three discreet chambers.
 3. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first flange means is spaced axially from said second end closure means to provide a chamber therebetween, and said second flange means is spaced axially from said first end closure means to provide a chamber therebetween, said first and second flange means being spaced axially from each other to provide a chamber therebetween.
 4. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conduit means surrounding said inlet conduit means and the conduit means surrounding said outlet conduit means are peripherally secured to each other by a weld.
 5. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing is of general elliptical cross section.
 6. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first and second end closure means and said first and second flange means are generally elliptical in general conformity with the elliptical cross section of said housing.
 7. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 3, wherein the conduit means telescopically associated with each of said outlet and inlet conduit means is so positioned that one extremity communicates with the chamber between said first and second flange means and the opposite extremities communicate with chambers positioned between said flange means and said end closure means.
 8. An exhaust muffler as set forth in claim 3, wherein the inlet conduit means communicates with the chamber defined between said first flange means and said second end closure means and wherein one extremity of said outlet conduit means communicates with the chamber defined between said first flange means and said second end closure means. 